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MESA, Ariz. — Dexter Fowler was smart enough to have the opportunity to attend Harvard and play basketball for the Crimson. But Fowler chose to apply his smarts to the baseball diamond. Now the Cubs hope the rest of their hitters will study the newcomer's instincts, which have helped him become a seasoned top-of-the-order hitter. Fowler's development as a batter who can get on base consistently started as a youth in his suburban Atlanta home, thanks to his father, John. "He used to tell us when we were younger, 'If you don't get a good pitch to hit, don't swing,' " said Fowler, whose lifetime .366 on-base percentage is 64 points higher than...

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MESA, Ariz. — Dexter Fowler was smart enough to have the opportunity to attend Harvard and play basketball for the Crimson.
But Fowler chose to apply his smarts to the baseball diamond. Now the Cubs hope the rest of their hitters will study the...

MESA, Ariz. — Arismendy Alcantara didn't play the outfield until about one month before he was promoted to the Cubs in July.
That may have been a solid career move for Alcantara, especially with Joe Maddon as the Cubs' new manager.
Alcantara's...

MESA, Ariz. -- Starlin Castro has been accustomed to change during his five seasons with the Chicago Cubs.
But one move he has been somewhat reluctant to make involves his family and could affect his future with the Cubs.
Castro said he is looking at...

MESA, Ariz. — Baseball's investigation into tampering charges against the Cubs in the hiring of Joe Maddon will be over before opening day, Commissioner Rob Manfred said Monday.
Nearly four months after the Rays claimed the Cubs contacted Maddon while he...

MESA, Ariz. — None of Manny Ramirez’s 555 career home runs was hit as a member of the Cubs, who nevertheless rehired him as a hitting consultant despite his past association with performance-enhancing drugs.
Moreover, President Theo Epstein said he would...

PHOENIX – The Cubs managed to sign Jon Lester to a six-year, $155 million contract in December without the backing of a massive local television contract.
While the Cubs still are in pursuit of marquee pitching, they're reluctant to backload a contract...

PHOENIX -- It's been nearly four months since the Tampa Bay Rays filed a tampering charge against the Chicago Cubs involving manager Joe Maddon.
It could take another month, but Commissioner Rob Manfred said Monday that a decision will be made before the...

MESA, Ariz. — The Cubs begin preparation for the 2015 season Friday, but they also hope to begin to a lay a foundation for long-term success when they conduct their first workout for pitchers and catchers under new manager Joe Maddon.
With the core of...

MESA, Ariz. -- On the eve of his first workout as manager of the Chicago Cubs, Joe Maddon tried to keep details of his first meeting with pitchers and catchers under wraps.
But Maddon, who joined the Cubs after nine seasons with the Tampa Bay Rays,...

Manager Joe Maddon was happy to learn his spring training roster will consist of 60 players.
He deems it a manageable number that will allow him and a retooled coaching staff ample time to distinguish those likely to make the opening-day roster and those...

Whether the White Sox or Cubs won the offseason is really a determination that should be made as their moves play out on the field, but there's little doubt the teams at least won the attention of the baseball world.
The clubs posted identical 73-89...

White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper isn’t emotional often in his communications, but he texted a few smiley faces to Jesse Crain’s phone when the Sox worked out a minor league deal with the right-handed reliever.
Crain, a 10-year major league veteran who...

Joe Maddon shares the same excitement many Cubs fans expressed last weekend after visiting with and listening to top prospects Kris Bryant, Javier Baez, Jorge Soler, C.J. Edwards and Kyle Schwarber.
But when one Cubs Convention attendee asked Maddon what...

The acquisition of switch-hitting center fielder Dexter Fowler tentatively completes a massive offseason for the Cubs.
“If we can improve our team for now and the future, we’ll look to do it,” general manager Jed Hoyer said Monday after acquiring...

The five players gathered on stage for a panel called "New Kids on the Block" had appeared in no major league games at this time last year. At Saturday's Cubs Convention, they were met with zealous cheers from a packed crowd and questions...

James Shields remains the biggest free agent on the market as spring training approaches, and Cubs manager Joe Maddon, for one, thinks the right-hander would be "a nice prize" to win.
Maddon told the MLB Network Radio show "Inside...

American LeagueCentral Division
White Sox: Additions of Jeff Samardzija, David Robertson and Adam LaRoche should make Sox instant contenders if defense holds up.
Indians: Quiet so far, but adding Brandon Moss is an upgrade. Now if the Tribe can only...

A series of reunions looks promising for the Cubs' 2015 rotation."I knew this was a place for me and (knew I) would have a very good opportunity," Jason Hammel said Friday of his return after being traded in July to the A's. "Thankfully,...

When Joe Maddon came to U.S. Cellular Field with the Rays last April, White Sox manager Robin Ventura sent over a bottle of California pinot noir to welcome him to Chicago.
Little did anyone know that six months later Maddon would be coming here to...

Outfielder Matt Kemp could be headed back to the logjam in Los Angeles after his physical with the San Diego Padres revealed arthritis in both hips.
According to multiple reports, Kemp's Tuesday physical created concern with the Padres, who pulled the...